For the 1978 Tour de France, the following 11 teams each sent 10 cyclists, for a total of 110: Since the 1977 Tour de France, dominant riders as Eddy Merckx, Felice Gimondi, Raymond Poulidor and Luis Ocaña had retired.

Lucien Van Impe, the winner of 1976, had broken his collarbone and was still recovering.

The main contenders were debutant Hinault, who had won the 1978 Vuelta a España, and Joop Zoetemelk, who had already finished in second place for three times. Pre-race analysis judged Hinault better in the time trials, and Zoetemelk better in the mountains. Bernard Thévenet, the winner of the 1977 Tour de France, was out of form, and not considered a favourite.

Teams

Lejeune–BP

Cyclists

+ Legend No. Starting number worn by the rider during the Tour Pos. Position in the general classification DNF Denotes a rider who did not finish

By starting number

No. Name Nationality Team Pos. 1 Bernard Thévenet Peugeot–Esso–Michelin DNF 2 Bernard Bourreau Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 28 3 Jean-Pierre Danguillaume Peugeot–Esso–Michelin DNF 4 Régis Delépine Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 76 5 Jacques Esclassan Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 61 6 Yves Hézard Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 17 7 Michel Laurent Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 14 8 Régis Ovion Peugeot–Esso–Michelin DNF 9 Guy Sibille Peugeot–Esso–Michelin DNF 10 Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 64 11 Hennie Kuiper TI–Raleigh DNF 12 José De Cauwer TI–Raleigh 55 13 Gerben Karstens TI–Raleigh DNF 14 Gerrie Knetemann TI–Raleigh 43 15 Henk Lubberding TI–Raleigh 8 16 Jan Raas TI–Raleigh 24 17 Klaus-Peter Thaler TI–Raleigh 35 18 Aad van den Hoek TI–Raleigh 57 19 Paul Wellens TI–Raleigh 6 20 Wilfried Wesemael TI–Raleigh 47 21 Lucien Van Impe C&A 9 22 Joseph Bruyère C&A 4 23 Jos Deschoenmaecker C&A 20 24 René Dillen C&A 51 25 Edward Janssens C&A 16 26 Marcel Laurens C&A 60 27 Ludo Loos C&A DNF 28 Jacques Martin C&A DNF 29 René Martens C&A 26 30 Walter Planckaert C&A DNF 31 Francisco Galdós Kas–Campagnolo 7 32 Julián Andiano Kas–Campagnolo DNF 33 José Enrique Cima Kas–Campagnolo DNF 34 Faustino Fernández Ovies Kas–Campagnolo DNF 35 Enrique Martínez Heredia Kas–Campagnolo DNF 36 José Nazabal Kas–Campagnolo DNF 37 José Pesarrodona Kas–Campagnolo DNF 38 Juan Pujol Kas–Campagnolo 32 39 Sebastián Pozo Kas–Campagnolo DNF 40 Jesús Suárez Cueva Kas–Campagnolo DNF 41 Joop Zoetemelk Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 2 42 Barry Hoban Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 65 43 Maurice Le Guilloux Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 27 44 Raymond Martin Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 12 45 Hubert Mathis Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 45 46 André Mollet Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 36 47 Sven-Åke Nilsson Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 11 48 Patrick Perret Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 29 49 Christian Seznec Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 5 50 Charles Rouxel Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 33 51 Bernard Hinault Renault–Gitane–Campagnolo 1 52 Jean-René Bernaudeau Renault–Gitane–Campagnolo DNF 53 Yvon Bertin Renault–Gitane–Campagnolo 74 54 Jacques Bossis Renault–Gitane–Campagnolo 62 55 André Chalmel Renault–Gitane–Campagnolo 63 56 Gilbert Chaumaz Renault–Gitane–Campagnolo 37 57 Lucien Didier Renault–Gitane–Campagnolo 52 58 Bernard Quilfen Renault–Gitane–Campagnolo 58 59 Willy Teirlinck Renault–Gitane–Campagnolo 38 60 Pierre-Raymond Villemiane Renault–Gitane–Campagnolo 31 61 Pedro Torres Teka DNF 62 Bernardo Alfonsel Teka 46 63 Javier Elorriaga Teka DNF 64 Eulalio García Teka DNF 65 Miguel María Lasa Teka 41 66 Paulino Martínez Teka DNF 67 José Martíns Teka 22 68 Antonio Menéndez Teka 18 69 Andrés Oliva Teka 39 70 Pedro Vilardebó Teka 40 71 Roger Legeay Lejeune–BP 42 72 Pierre Bazzo Lejeune–BP 21 73 Fedor den Hertog Lejeune–BP 25 74 Patrick Friou Lejeune–BP DNF 75 Joël Gallopin Lejeune–BP DNF 76 Jean-Louis Gauthier Lejeune–BP 69 77 Daniel Gisiger Lejeune–BP 75 78 Antoine Gutierrez Lejeune–BP DNF 79 Michel Le Denmat Lejeune–BP DNF 80 Eugène Plet Lejeune–BP 66 81 Jean-Jacques Fussien Fiat–La France 73 82 Serge Beucherie Fiat–La France 67 83 Alain Budet Fiat–La France 71 84 Alain De Carvalho Fiat–La France 48 85 Jacky Hardy Fiat–La France DNF 86 Gilbert Le Lay Fiat–La France 23 87 Dominique Sanders Fiat–La France 50 88 Philippe Tesnière Fiat–La France 78 89 Didier Van Vlaslaer Fiat–La France DNF 90 Paul Sherwen Fiat–La France 70 91 Freddy Maertens Velda–Lano–Flandria 13 92 Michel Pollentier Velda–Lano–Flandria DNF 93 Joaquim Agostinho Velda–Lano–Flandria 3 94 Herman Beysens Velda–Lano–Flandria 44 95 René Bittinger Velda–Lano–Flandria 19 96 Marc Demeyer Velda–Lano–Flandria 49 97 Sean Kelly Velda–Lano–Flandria 34 98 Christian Muselet Velda–Lano–Flandria 53 99 Marcel Tinazzi Velda–Lano–Flandria 59 100 Albert Van Vlierberghe Velda–Lano–Flandria 56 101 Mariano Martínez Jobo–Superia 10 102 Dino Bertolo Jobo–Superia 72 103 Jean-Pierre Biderre Jobo–Superia DNF 104 Dante Coccolo Jobo–Superia 77 105 Philippe Durel Jobo–Superia 68 106 Hervé Inaudi Jobo–Superia DNF 107 Ferdinand Julien Jobo–Superia 30 108 Alain Patritti Jobo–Superia 54 109 Jean-François Pescheux Jobo–Superia DNF 110 André Romero Jobo–Superia 15

By team

+Peugeot–Esso–Michelin No. Rider Pos. 1 DNF 2 28 3 DNF 4 76 5 61 6 17 7 14 8 DNF 9 DNF 10 64+TI–Raleigh No. Rider Pos. 11 DNF 12 55 13 DNF 14 43 15 8 16 24 17 35 18 57 19 6 20 47+C&A No. Rider Pos. 21 9 22 4 23 20 24 51 25 16 26 60 27 DNF 28 DNF 29 26 30 DNF+Kas–Campagnolo No. Rider Pos. 31 7 32 DNF 33 DNF 34 DNF 35 DNF 36 DNF 37 DNF 38 32 39 DNF 40 DNF+Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson No. Rider Pos. 41 2 42 65 43 27 44 12 45 45 46 36 47 11 48 29 49 5 50 33+Renault–Gitane–Campagnolo No. Rider Pos. 51 1 52 DNF 53 74 54 62 55 63 56 37 57 52 58 58 59 38 60 31+Teka No. Rider Pos. 61 DNF 62 46 63 DNF 64 DNF 65 41 66 DNF 67 22 68 18 69 39 70 40+Lejeune–BP No. Rider Pos. 71 42 72 21 73 25 74 DNF 75 DNF 76 69 77 75 78 DNF 79 DNF 80 66+Fiat–La France No. Rider Pos. 81 73 82 67 83 71 84 48 85 DNF 86 23 87 50 88 78 89 DNF 90 70+Velda–Lano–Flandria No. Rider Pos. 91 13 92 DNF 93 3 94 44 95 19 96 49 97 34 98 53 99 59 100 56+Jobo–Superia No. Rider Pos. 101 10 102 72 103 DNF 104 77 105 68 106 DNF 107 30 108 54 109 DNF 110 15

References